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Guidelines for Cured Foods Safety
Appears in
By Jaclyn Pestka, Wayne Gisslen and Lou Sackett
Published 2010
- Maintain strict standards of sanitation. Because many cured products are held in the temperature danger zone (TDZ) for longer than is safe for fresh items, it is important to maintain the lowest possible level of bacteria and other harmful microorganisms in the product. Thoroughly sanitize every surface and utensil that will come into contact with the cure or the product to be cured. Always wear food-service gloves when handling cures and food products. Do not reuse a brine or dry cure that has come into contact with raw food because it has been contaminated with bacteria from the raw food.
- Be extra careful when measuring ingredients for cured foods. Make sure to use the type of salt specified. Always weigh the salt rather than measure by volume. If you are using a TCM, make certain it is the correct type. Use a precision digital scale when weighing small amounts of ingredients, particularly TCMs. If the food to be cured is not exactly the weight specified in the recipe, make sure to correctly adjust the ratio of curing compound to food by scaling up or down.
- Maintain strict temperature controls. Keep the foods to be cured in the refrigerator until you need them. Fabricate them quickly, in small batches, and return them to the refrigerator when fabrication is complete. Make sure brine cures are at room or refrigerator temperature when they are applied to foods. While foods are curing, be diligent about keeping them at the temperature specified in the recipe. Use accurate, sanitized thermometers to monitor temperatures, and avoid fluctuations in temperature.
- Always use nonreactive materials, such as plastic or stainless steel, when curing. Aluminum pans can react with the salt in the dry cure or brine, causing discoloration of the product and interference with the curing process.
- Be sure to observe the correct curing times and techniques. Do not attempt to take shortcuts. There is no way to hurry a cure. Make sure to perform the specified maintenance steps throughout the curing time.